Press Play with Madeleine Brand: California case: free speech v. abortion rightsCrisis pregnancy centers are generally run by pro-life groups that aim to convince pregnant women not to get abortions. A California law requires that employees tell their clients that the state offers free and low-cost abortions and other family planning services. Now a group of these centers is arguing that the law violates their freedom of speech.

UnFictionalUnbelievably true stories of chance encounters that changed the world. A pair of mail-order shoes that led to the film The Outsiders. A secret road to a California paradise. The day LA and smog first met. Stories that will stick in your head like a memory. It’s UnFictional, hosted by Bob Carlson.

The DocumentThe Document is a new kind of mash-up between documentaries and radio. It goes beyond clips and interviews, mining great stories from the raw footage of documentaries present, past and in-progress. A new episode is available every other Wednesday on iTunes and wherever fine podcasts are downloaded.

To the PointA weekly reality-check on the issues Americans care about most. Host Warren Olney draws on his decades of experience to explore the people and issues shaping – and disrupting - our world. How did everything change so fast? Where are we headed? The conversations are informal, edgy and always informative. If Warren's asking, you want to know the answer.

It’s LA’s Biggest Beach Weekend – But Is It Safe To Swim?

With July 4th falling on a Friday and temperatures expected to be in the mid-80s, hordes of Angelenos and tourists will hit the beaches this weekend. But they might want to think twice before jumping in the ocean.

FROM THIS EPISODE

With July 4th falling on a Friday and temperatures expected to be in the mid-80s, hordes of Angelenos and tourists will hit the beaches this weekend. But they might want to think twice before jumping in the ocean. Bacteria levels at some beaches have been notably high in recent weeks, with looming yellow warning signs to prove it. We’ll hear which beaches get a pass, and which ones fail.

Also on the program: shopping at the world’s first open-air pot market, and does gentrification follow the rail lines?

It’s the 4th of July weekend. It’s hot. And the ocean is calling. But what price are you willing to pay for a refreshing dip? Bacteria levels just south of Santa Monica pier were high enough to warrant swim advisories at the end of June, and other beaches are even dirtier. It’s the result of storm-water runoff and bureaucratic log jams, but it could be changing in years to come. Joining us to talk about water quality this weekend and into the future is Kirsten James, Science and Policy Director for Water Quality at Heal the Bay.

Heirloom tomatoes, fresh basil and fruit are all things you expect to find at a farmers market. But this holiday weekend, Angelenos with medical marijuana cards will be able to buy pot directly from the farmers who grow it. For more, we turn to the woman who is organizing the California Heritage Market, Paizley Bradbury.

These are boom times for passenger rail transit in Los Angeles. There are already more than 80 miles of light rail and subway lines in the L.A. area and lots more are either under construction or planned, from Santa Monica to Azusa. It’s not just about getting passengers from place to place. City boosters hope that rail stations and lines will be a powerful magnet for investment and economic development in neighborhoods that need both. Some are already saying that where the trains go, gentrification soon follows. But is that really true? KCRW's Saul Gonzalez has our feature story.